Unrivaled Belle and Malibu Prayer headline a talented group
of six for Sunday’s 35th renewal of the Grade 1, $250,000 Ruffian
Handicap, which makes its Saratoga Race Course debut.

Previously run at Belmont
Park, the 1 1/8th-mile
Ruffian is a “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’
Classic.

Unrivaled Belle, who carries the colors of Peter Vegso,
exits a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Handicap at Belmont Park on June 12. In her two previous
starts, she won the Grade 2 La Troienne at Churchill Downs on April 30 and the
Grade 3 Rampart at Gulfstream
Park on March 20.

“She’s had two good works here and she schooled really well
in the paddock the other day, which is always a concern with her,” said her
Hall of Fame trainer, Bill Mott. “She looks well, she’s eating well, and she’s
training well – all good signs.”

The 119-pound highweight in the field of six, Unrivaled
Belle will have the services of regular jockey Kent Desormeaux as she breaks
from post position 2 as the even-money favorite on the morning line.

The front-running Malibu Prayer looks to build on an
impressive 4 ½-length victory in the Lighthouse Stakes at Monmouth on June 26,
her second start this year following a disappointing fifth-place finish in the
Grade 2 Vagrancy at Belmont
Park on May 30, the lone
out-of-the-money performance in her career.

“She was just outsprinted in the Vagrancy,” said Todd
Pletcher, who trains the 4-year-old Malibu Moon filly for owner/breeder Edward
Evans. “It was a little bit of a disappointing effort mainly because she
trained so well going into it, but she came out of in good shape, continued to
train really well, and then ran a big race at Monmouth.”

Malibu Prayer ran a 98 Beyer Speed Figure – the second-best
number of her career – in that race, her fifth win from 11 lifetime starts.

“By design, we gave her the winter off with the idea that
hopefully we could have her primed for the summer and fall of this year,” said
Pletcher. “The timing of this race is good, plus it’s a Grade 1, which is
attractive.”

John Velazquez will ride the 2-1 morning-line second choice
from the rail.

Kiaran McLaughlin will saddle NYKY Thoroughbred Stable’s
Starship Angel for her first start since a fourth-place effort in the Monmouth
Beach Stakes on May 30. After starting the year with two wins and one
second-place finish at Aqueduct, she shipped to Hawthorne for the Grade 3 Sixty Sails
Handicap on April 17, in which she also finished fourth.

“We’re spacing her races out a little more and she’s doing
great,” said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. “We think she likes two turns better
than one turn, and this is a Grade 1, so finishing in the top three would
really enhance her value”

Garrett Gomez will ride Starship Angel from post 3.

Shipping in from Canada is Tasty Temptation, a
winner of four straight, including the Hill ‘n’ Dale Stakes at Woodbine in her
most recent start on June 20. Owned by Woodford Racing LLC and trained by
Woodbine-based Mark Casse, the Canadian-bred Medaglia d’Oro filly will make her
first start on dirt in the Ruffian. Julien Leparoux has the call from post 5.

Gary Contessa will saddle second-level allowance winner
Classofsixtythree, who will have her own cheering section Sunday – former
classmates of her owner, Lee Pokoik, who was graduated from Tabor Academy
in 1963.

“She’s a deep, deep closer going a mile and an eighth,” said
Contessa. “She’s coming off a win, so her confidence level is high and if ever
we were going to try to get a piece of a Grade 1, now is the time.”

Zaphyra, another second-level allowance winner who is making
her second start for trainer John Terranova, completes the field.